RPM Nationals: You Asked For It—OHVs
Photos by Marc Gewertz & Tony Thacker
Presented by HandHFlatheads.com & USAutomotive.co.uk
Tracy Ledford (what a name) gets away from Diana Branch in his Hemi-powered A against her Studebaker-powered Tudor. Photo Marc Gewertz
The RPM Nationals Flathead Drags is one of our favorite events, but it is restricted to four bangers and flathead Ford V8s which is great but not for everybody. There are lots of rodders who power their rides with new-fangled ohv engines like Buicks, Chryslers, and Chevy V8s. Organizers Justin Baas and Russ Hare, listened and put on the RPM Nationals ‘You Asked For It’ open to both side and over-head valves.
You Asked For It was held at the Barona Drag Strip located on the Barona Indian Reservation, 32 miles northeast of San Diego, CA. It’s a beautiful location, but to get there you have to take a wiggle-ass road off highway 78 1,700 ft up into the mountains that makes you wish you were on a motorcycle. It’s not Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM), that’s for sure, but Barona has it owns charms as the race director explained: There’s an 1/8-mile strip, and 1/8 shut off, some hard-packed gravel, an old catch fence and then a cliff—so be warned.
Thankfully, when you’re watching Model A Fords race, you can’t always tell they’re racing so the 20-year-old catch fence was hopefully not to be tested. That said, the strip offered a pro Christmas tree, timing and win lights—altogether a more formal event compared to the casual RSM but nevertheless fun. And, of course, there were ‘1964 and earlier era correct’ cars there that you would not see racing at RSM.
Among the field of newbies that I wanted to see were Jimmy White’s Hemi-powered Model A coupe, ‘Squeak’ Bell’s Nailhead-powered, hammered ’32 Tudor sedan and Mike Deuttweiler’s neither disappointed. Also out to do battle were Brit Jay Dean in the Nostalgia Ranch T and Max herman Jr. of H&H Antique in the Marvel Miracle Oil HAL dohc Model A-powered T.
For information about the next RMP Nationals on Sept. 25, 2021 at Santa Margarita Ranch, CA go to: https://www.rpmnationals.com/
